1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a metered parking system and its method of use.
2). Discussion of Related Art
Various metered parking systems exist in the art. A parking provider may for example have meter units at parking spaces and a user may pay at the respective meter unit using cash or a credit card. Alternatively, a parking lot may have a central kiosk where a user can purchase parking time for display on a dashboard of their vehicle.
A parking provider often controls parking by providing a mobile parking unit that an attendant can use remotely from a server to determine whether parking has been paid for by a respective vehicle or for a particular parking location. This allows the attendant to determine whether a ticket or a fine should be issued.
Paying by cash can be cumbersome because a user may not have the exact change to enter into a meter unit or kiosk. Credit cards are also restrictive in that many people do not own credit cards. When paying by cash or credit card it is also necessary to interact with a particular meter unit or kiosk, which does not allow for a user to increase their parking time when away from the meter unit or kiosk.